What about permission?

Note to reader: I left at 1pm as I had another engagement so I don’t know what happened in the second half. Do tell if you know.

At an event yesterday organised by The Alternative in deepest Soho I was annoyed to discover that the place had no wireless access and my 3G card didn’t work as we were in the basement. Avery nice basement but nonetheless reception was rubbish.

tribe - Projeto Salamandra

The event was entitled “The New Brand Tribalism” and not being able to pump up my pc to tweet and share with the world what was going on was incredibly annoying. My tribal behaviour towards this brand was no off to a good start.

Note to all event organisers, wireless is as much an essential these days as tea and coffee.

My initial thought before going to this event were that I wonder how much people like Seth Godin and a whole host of others would come up. Not once unless I fell asleep.  Seth has his critics and I’m no fan-boy but c’mon, give a word for those that came before.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I didn’t feel that there was anything “new” here. Lots of talk of being authentic but the also more on being controlling. To my mind that sounded like, try and look like you are authentic. Kind of the opposite of being authentic. I was expecting more about giving employees brand permission, about employees being involved in the decisions that matter to them, the stuff that makes me come to work.

There were some mentions of brand ambassadors but it felt like that some gimmick or other had to be run so as employees would then go and talk about it. Quick fixes fade quick too.

Actually one statement that stuck in my mind went something like, ” We can take the tribal behaviours and control and shape them for the business.” To me that sounds like they way you kill it.

Great chats though with a couple of gents, those were insightful conversations on what is really happening, success and failures, fear and desire.  Wish I also got to meet Joanne and Rach who also attended.

Going blank again

May be it is just the start of a new year, my approaching vacation in Taiwan or burn-out from a rather hectic, exciting and full-filling year – but I can’t think of a damn thing to write about. This is going to be a ramble.

At present our Internal Comms function is preparing for our 4Q and end of year results. Local video has been recorded of our CGM which will be released internally after the corporate announcement. But I think it will have to be pretty bad or pretty amazing to knock some guy called Obama off the news headlines on his first day of his new job.

My appraisal is on Thursday afternoon – which I think I have done well in and taken the opportunities I’ve been handed and found. Hoping for a band increase. Well we do live in Hope.

Also this week, actually the other highlight of the week, is meeting with someone from another business who is also in Internal Comms – albeit at a much higher level than myself. This will be the third recent meeting with IC people from other companies. It’s really good to find out how others work and what they are doing. They will be coming to our SouthBank office for a chat and perhaps sample the delights of our canteen.

If you work in IC, based in London and fancy a chat over lunch then let me know.

Today I have my second meeting with my mentor, who is actually based in Germany. Still working out in my own head how this mentoring stuff should work for me, what I want to get out of it. Never had a formal mentor before but have kept up with people I admire on an informal level. They probably didn’t realise it (or me) but they were also mentors.

End of week.. hols..

Every penny counts

This week in London we will see fuel protests over the current price, with protesters asking the government not to go ahead with a 2p tax increase on petrol later this year, which all seems a drop in the ocean when prices seem to go up by 2p every day.

Sooner or later we will all have to face up to higher fuel prices, even if we find more gas and oil under the arctic we can’t go on burning fossil fuels the way we are if we are going to survive as a species on this planet. Don’t worry about the planet – that will go on fine once we annihilate ourselves in this crazy race of life.

I would think all the protesters would be better off looking at ways they can be smarter about the fuel they use and look for alternatives to transport goods or retraining than wasting time trying to save 2p a litre.

Fuel prices will of course increase the price of everything we buy which seems the obvious incentive to everyone to reduce consumption and become a bit greener, then the Conservatives come out with a crazy idea for individual carbon allowances – a process in itself will create a huge increase in the use of valuable resources.

We either decide to save the environment so we can live on this planet or we keep economic activity growing the way it is and face, if not extinction in the not too distant future, then a serious change to the current situation.

We also have fishermen on strike over the cost of diesel today all over Europe. Governments that at one time talked about green issues are looking at ways to keep this old economy going.

Photos arrived

The journalist that came to interview us last week sent us a few photos he took.

Not sure when this will appear in the local newspaper as I just sent back the last change this morning, but may be sometime in April – I think he said he was commissioned to do a series on transport in the Sutton area for SmarterTravelSutton.

Another interview

It is odd how a decision to do something ripples out in time to other events.  When as a family we went to Move it in the Manor and ended up one the cover of Sutton Scene and in The Times.

Today I’m being interviewed again for a newspaper about the Sutton Smarter Travel scheme.  From The Times to the guardian.. well actually this time it is the Sutton Guardian.  Spoke to the guy last week how tried to contact me while I was on holiday. He is also a travel writer so I’ll be asking him if he has any jobs too.  Sounds aright character so looking forward to that after lunch.

I don’t think we shall be going outside for any photos (may be we will) because the wind is blowing like a typhoon out there this morning.

Why do people really hate cyclists?

Matthew Parris has come in for plenty of stick in his article, “What’s smug and deserves to be decapitated?“

” A festive custom we could do worse than foster would be stringing piano wire across country lanes to decapitate cyclists.”

Even in jest this is a little harsh considering how often this type of crime has been perpetrated in the UK (see here for a list). This may have been ok for movie stars in old war films escaping from the Nazis but do people really need more encouragement, especially in London, to hurt each other?

Others have already pointed out that this sort of “joke” aimed at people of disability, sexual orientation and race would be illegal, without further proof. In fact it probably is illegal if it could be proved that this article incited someone to do just that.

But why do some people seem to hate anyone on a bike? yes, some do go through red lights. But I have also seen plenty of cars go through red lights. A cyclist is more likely to hurt himself than anyone else – but it doesn’t make it right and I don’t do it.

Is it because some wear lycra? OMG, what a crime. Just like some women wore ponchos a year ago, but I never gave any of them verbal abuse, which I and many others get on the way to and from work each day, which is rich coming from drivers of Nissan’s.

Even in Sutton people shout at you when riding on a cycle path which is next to a regular path – often refusing to move. Also going down a one way street the wrong way, because, listen up drivers, in some cases there are signs that allow cyclists to do just that – don’t blame your ignorance on others.

All road users have a duty of care towards each other – and especially those in front of you. No one owns the road. Sure cycling two abreast is legal but I wouldn’t in London, that is just courtesy. But neither should drivers knock so many single cyclists over or block cycle lanes where we have them. I gave up counting how many times I’ve seen cars cut in, to turn left in front of me and others to save milliseconds from a trip.

It must be that the root cause of this is the frustration that most drivers feel stuck in traffic. I have felt it too, I drive but not as much as I used to. Seeing someone getting where they want to, with less effort, stress, cost and at a predictable rate is frustrating especially if your late or need the loo. The anger can rise when someone glides past, through heavy traffic off into the sucset (or sunrise). I have been in both positions, like so many people who ride to work.

Instead of getting angry, why not get a bike? Most cyclists don’t feel smug – they just made the choice to leave the car at home and avoid overcrowded public transport.

And remember, those are people, not cyclists. They have families, mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, brothers and sisters – so try not to kill us.

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Sunday dinner at friends

Yes – it has been quiet here, work has been busy as usual but still fun.

Anyway, this sunday we went round to have Sunday Roast at a friends house in Worcester Park, Ginger and Steve.

Below is Phoebe with James, the son of some more friends that were there, Jonathan and Anfan. Ping made a swiss role like cake and a chocolate pie – Phoebe and James were both off the walls by the end of the day. Phoebe fell asleep as her head hit the pillow tonight.

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St Pancrass (sic) bike parking

This is a great example of how not to set up bike parking at a train station.

Sad to say that most others are little better. Why oh why do local authorities go on about saving the planet, reducing our driving and improving our health by getting out of our cars, walk, cycle or take public transport when rubbish like this is what you get – and at the new Eurotunnel station.

As Andrea at Velorution points out 3 women have been killed by drivers with half km of the station in the last 12 months.

Come on Ken, about time you started to push business into getting with it as far as non-car transport is concerned. The congestion charge is one thing but only the start

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the great london commuter cycle race

If proof were needed that the great race is real.. just don’t talk about it

Cycle warriors article from a while back on bbc.co.uk

A race, yes, but an unusual one in that most cyclists are not even aware it is taking place. This is ideal, for I am absurdly but secretly competitive and have an almost pathological need to be first away at the lights.

The small number of cyclists who are in the know duel with great nonchalance and no acknowledgement of their opponent. The trick is to cycle at maximum speed until the point of overtaking, and then sit back in the saddle as you pass, looking straight ahead as if the mere breeze is carrying you forward.

Anyone else take part?? ;o)

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London Freewheel cycling fun

From l to r: Phoebe, me, Ping

Sunday saw the largest gathering of cyclists on the streets of London in the Hovis Freewheel event.

The weather was great and the crowds came out, about 36,000 – and that was the people that registered. Apart from the many “crossing points” to allow lead footed pedestrians to get to and from Buck’ Palace the route was a lovely ride around London, Phoebe especially liked the loud zone under the bridges, screaming her head off.

The event was supposed to get non-cyclists out and about London but on the whole it looked like mostly regular cyclists had turned up even though just about every rental bike in London had been taken for the day.  I think it showed just how many people do ride already.

The day started in Carshalton where we met with others from the area and were led to the hub on Clapham Common by the London Cycle Campaign marshall, who was probably knocking on 70 years old – he could move.

When we got to Clapham the scene was quite amazing – a field full of people on all sorts of bikes with one or sporting angle wings or wizard costumes. At first they were letting people go 2 at a time every 30 seconds, this proved to be just crazy as the crowd got larger and larger with huge convoys of people arriving from all over.  I wouldn’t be surprised in Clapham was the busiest hub.

The trip down to the central car-free route was quite slow, the sheer weight of numbers around the traffic light congested north side of Clapham was making hard work.  Many car drivers were clearly getting upset.

Once in to town and after many bemused people looking at this stream of cyclists we got on to the main route and headed straight for our free sandwiches (thanks Hovis) and apples (cheers Cape) and then on for the ride.  Now I have riden this route before and sometimes it is quite terrifying along the Embankment opposite South Bank.  Cars whizz through the dual carriageway – today the only worry was from little kids not being able to go in a straight line.

We stopped by the London Eye at one of the free photo spots to have our picture taken and downloaded it today from the site.

I have to say it was a really lovely day, the weather held and the smiles of peoples faces made it all the better.  The cycle home was in stark contrast through busy streets and the usual London madness until we picked up the Wandle Way near Morden.

Looking forward to next year and also Critical Mass.

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